British Are Coming, British Are Coming'

Late yesterday afternoon, My Friend the Horseman called from Louisville. Like clockwork, this telephone call has been coming on the Thursday of Derby Week for longer than he or I care to remember.

After getting the incidentals out of the way, like his smooth flight to the Blue Grass Country; the Louisville weather forecast, and some other social items of interest, he started mumbling something about "the British are coming, the British are coming." He giggled every time he said it.

Knowing My Friend the way I do, this was some sort of smoke signal. He's a teaser, this Friend of mine.

The British? The Derby? Louisville? It took me three seconds to put three- and-three together.

Bold Arrangement? Right?

He giggled again, and said: "That's right, Bold Arrangement (the English- bred colt) is my pick for the Derby."

And to keep it a total English theme, he offered Vernon Castle as his long shot special.

Before getting to the heart of the matter, he said: "I've been going to the Derby with some regularity since 1962, and even more so since 1970 when Dust Commander won the race. This year's field, from top to bottom, appears to be the most competitive in prerace analysis since 1973 when Secretariat, Sham, Forego, Shecky Green and others were in the race. It is because of this competitiveness that I am emphasizing value for the bet."

With Bold Arrangement currently at 12-1 (it should go down some before race time), and Vernon Castle at 30-1, he's talking my language. Go ahead and take Snow Chief at 6-5.

"You'll get a fair return should Bold Arrangement improve off his close and troubled third place finish in the Blue Grass," he said. "The race was the American debut for this horse, Previously, he had not gone more than a mile and had beenracing strictly on the turf. But his trainer, Clive Brittain, had the horse training in England on a sandy dirt surface, preparing for his two Kentucky experiences."

Obviously, Bold Arrangement's Blue Grass performance impressed him.

"The horse had trouble from the start," he pointed out. "Going around the far turn and into the stretch, Pat Eddery, the English jockey, had to go five horses wide, losing a lot of ground. After the race, Eddery said, 'I thought I was on the best horse in the race . . . he didn't get away from the gate well, and he had his troubles down the backstretch and lost ground on the turn, but he finished very strongly and I was very pleased with him. He can only improve off the Blue Grass."'

Eddery won't be aboard Bold Arrangement tomorrow - he was suspended for five days in England, and the suspension applies over here as well. Instead, Chris McCarron has the mount, and The Horseman sees that as a "major plus."

As far as Vernon Castle, The Horseman's long shot special, goes, the horse has raced only twice in his entire career, winning one race by some six to eight lengths and coming back to win the Grade II California Derby. Eddie Delahoussaye, another jockey favorite of My Friend, will ride Vernon Castle.

The Horseman is not without background on the name Vernon Castle. "At the turn of the century, Vernon and Irene Castle were a well-known dance couple," he said. "A movie picture was made about them, with Fred Astaire playing Vernon Castle."

And what connection does Vernon Castle have with England, like in "the British are coming?" Simple. The man Vernon Castle was born in the late 1800s in Norwich, England.

He had a few words, too, about Snow Chief.

"Snow Chief, a winner in all of his races, hasn't raced in a month,"he explained. "Racing a month apart raises questions as to whether Snow Chief is a fresh horse or has had too much of a layoff. I certainly would not argue with the success of this colt, and he should be a heavy favorite. In my opinion he does not warrant my consideration, not only because of the small betting return, but also because there are too many other good horses competing against him."

The Horseman would rather include Badger Land, the second choice, in his betting. "I have more confidence in him that I do in Snow Chief," he said.

Thus, one of his bets will be an exacta box with Bold Arrangement, Badger Land and Vernon Castle.

The Horseman figures that Magambo and Broad Brush will be played by the Churchill Downs bettors. "Magambo seems to alternate between winning and losing," he said. "Broad Brush won the Jim Beam and came back impressively to win the Wood. You might want to take a look at this horse, especially at a price."

I'll go along with his "British Connection." The prices should be right, for one. And, secondly, he is due for a hit in Louisville.